# How to Search on TikTok: Filters, Tips and Hidden Features

To search on TikTok, tap the magnifying glass at the top of the Home screen, type what you want and tap Search; results open in tabs for Top, Videos, Users, Sounds, LIVE and hashtags.

[![apidojo](/blog/authors/apidojo.png)**Apidojo** *15+ years of experience in data retrieval.*](/blog/authors/apidojo/)

**12 October 2026** Published

**5 min** Read

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**To search on TikTok, tap the magnifying glass at the top of the Home screen, type what you want and tap Search; results open in tabs for Top, Videos, Users, Sounds, LIVE and hashtags.** To narrow them, tap the More options button above the results, choose Filters, pick a sort order or a date range, and tap Apply.

TikTok search works for people, videos, sounds, hashtags and effects, and it has a few features most people never find, such as searching with a screenshot. This guide covers all of them, then links to a guide for each part of TikTok: comments, profiles, trends, your data and more.

## How Do You Search on TikTok?

**You search on TikTok from the search bar at the top of the app, or from the Discover tab where your region has one.** TikTok’s Help Center describes the same steps, and notes that the most relevant results appear in the Top tab ([TikTok Help Center](https://support.tiktok.com/en/using-tiktok/exploring-videos/discover-and-search)). Listed below are the 4 steps.

1.  **Tap** the magnifying glass at the top right of the Home feed.
2.  **Type** a word, a phrase, a username or a hashtag.
3.  **Tap** **Search**.
4.  **Switch** tabs to see only videos, users, sounds, LIVE videos or hashtags.

On a computer, the search bar sits at the top of tiktok.com and works the same way.

## How Do You Use TikTok Search Filters?

**TikTok’s search filters sit behind the More options button above your results: tap it, choose Filters, select your options and tap Apply.** Nothing changes until you tap Apply (TikTok Help Center). The filters let you sort results by relevance or by likes, and limit them to a date range, such as the past day, week or month, which is the quickest way to find something posted recently.

TikTok uses the word “filters” for two different things. Search filters change which results you see. Camera filters and effects change how your own video looks, and you find those from the record screen, not from search.

## What Can You Search For on TikTok?

**You can search TikTok for videos, people, sounds, hashtags, LIVE videos, effects and, in some regions, TikTok Shop products.** The table shows what to type for each.

| You want | What to type | Tab to open |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Videos on a topic | A few words, such as pasta recipe | Videos |
| A person | Their name or @username | Users |
| A song or sound | The song title or a lyric | Sounds |
| A hashtag | The tag with # | Hashtags |
| A live stream | A topic or a creator’s name | LIVE |
| A camera effect | The effect’s name | Search, then tap the effect |

Finding a specific person, including without their username, is covered in [how to find someone on TikTok](/blog/tiktok-search/find-someone-on-tiktok/).

## How Do You Search TikTok With a Screenshot?

**TikTok’s screenshot visual search lets you search with an image instead of words: TikTok looks at what’s in the picture and shows related videos and products.** It’s listed in TikTok’s search help alongside the search bar (TikTok Help Center), and it’s useful for finding a product, a place or an outfit you can’t name. The feature isn’t available in every region.

## TikTok Search Tips That Save Time

**A few habits make TikTok search far more precise.** Listed below are the 5 that matter most.

1.  **Search the hashtag and the plain words.** `#booktok` and `book recommendations` return different videos.
2.  **Use the Sounds tab for songs.** Typing a lyric there finds the sound even when you don’t know its name.
3.  **Filter by date for news and trends.** Older viral videos crowd recent ones out of the Top tab.
4.  **Sort by likes to find the best version** of a trend or tutorial.
5.  **Clear old searches** when your suggestions get stuck on a topic; see [how to clear your TikTok search history](/blog/tiktok-search/clear-search-history/).

## Can People See What You Search on TikTok?

**No, other people can’t see what you search on TikTok; your search history is visible only to you on your own account.** The details, including what TikTok itself stores, are in [can people see what you search on TikTok](/blog/tiktok-search/can-people-see-your-searches/).

## Why Is TikTok Search Not Working?

**TikTok search stops working when the app is out of date, the connection is weak, the account has restrictions, or TikTok has filtered the results.** TikTok says content that isn’t appropriate won’t appear in search results (TikTok Help Center). The full checklist is in [why can’t I search on TikTok](/blog/tiktok-search/search-not-working/), and resetting suggestions you don’t want is in [how to turn off “Find Similar” and reset search suggestions](/blog/tiktok-search/reset-search-suggestions/).

## Can You Search TikTok Without an Account?

**Yes, you can search and watch most public TikTok videos on tiktok.com without logging in, though TikTok limits how much you can browse before it asks you to sign in.** The methods are in [how to watch TikTok without the app or an account](/blog/tiktok-search/watch-without-app/).

## TikTok Guides in This Series

**Each part of TikTok has its own guide, linked from here.** Listed below are the 8 guide hubs.

-   [TikTok comments: how to pin, delete, filter and find them](/blog/tiktok-comments/tiktok-comments-guide/)
-   [TikTok profile views: how to see, turn on and turn off viewers](/blog/tiktok-profiles/profile-views/)
-   [How to block someone on TikTok](/blog/tiktok-profiles/block-someone/)
-   [How to see TikTok analytics](/blog/tiktok-analytics/see-tiktok-analytics/)
-   [How to find trends on TikTok](/blog/tiktok-trends/find-tiktok-trends/)
-   [How to download your TikTok data](/blog/tiktok-data/download-your-data/)
-   [How to download TikTok videos](/blog/tiktok-videos/download-tiktok-videos/)
-   [How to scrape TikTok data in 2026](/blog/tiktok-scraping/how-to-scrape-tiktok/)

## How to Search TikTok at Scale With apidojo

**The TikTok app shows search results one screen at a time; apidojo’s [TikTok Scraper](https://apify.com/apidojo/tiktok-scraper) on Apify runs the same keyword search and returns every video as JSON, CSV or Excel, with views, likes, comments, shares, hashtags and the creator’s profile.** Its `sortType` input uses the same sort options as the app: `RELEVANCE`, `MOST_LIKED` or `DATE_POSTED` (Apify).

```
{
  "keywords": ["pasta recipe"],
  "sortType": "MOST_LIKED",
  "location": "US",
  "maxItems": 500
}
```

It costs $0.30 per 1,000 posts, and each search must return at least 10 posts. The developer version is [how to scrape TikTok search results](/blog/tiktok-scraping/scrape-search-results/), and the full toolkit starts at [apidojo.io](/).

## The scrapers behind this

-   [TikTok Scraper Profiles, videos, hashtags, music and locations; 460 posts/sec measured $0.30 / 1K posts](/scrapers/tiktok-scraper/)

## Questions people ask

### Where is the search bar on TikTok?

At the top right of the Home screen, shown as a magnifying glass; on a computer it's at the top of tiktok.com.

### How do you search for a specific video on TikTok?

Type the words you remember from its caption or on-screen text, then sort by date or likes. If you remember the sound, search it in the Sounds tab and browse the videos that use it.

### How do you find trending searches on TikTok?

Open search without typing; TikTok shows suggested and trending searches under the search bar. Trends in general are covered in [how to find trends on TikTok](/blog/tiktok-trends/find-tiktok-trends/).

### Does TikTok search show everything?

No, TikTok filters search results to keep them relevant and safe, and private accounts' videos never appear.

## More on searching TikTok

-   [How to Clear Your TikTok Search History Clear your TikTok search history from the search bar or Activity center, remove single searches, and stop old searches shaping suggestions.](/blog/tiktok-search/clear-search-history/)
-   [Can People See What You Search on TikTok? Who can and can't see your TikTok searches, whether searching someone notifies them, what TikTok stores and how to keep searches private.](/blog/tiktok-search/can-people-see-your-searches/)
-   [Why Can't I Search on TikTok? (6 Fixes) Why TikTok search stops working, how to tell a glitch from a restricted search term, and 6 fixes in the order most likely to help.](/blog/tiktok-search/search-not-working/)
-   [Turn Off 'Find Similar' and Reset TikTok Suggestions Turn off TikTok's Find Similar bubble in Playback settings, reset You may like suggestions, and refresh your For You feed.](/blog/tiktok-search/reset-search-suggestions/)
-   [How to Find Someone on TikTok (With or Without Username) 7 ways to find a person on TikTok, by username, name, phone contacts, QR code or mutual friends, and why some can't be found.](/blog/tiktok-search/find-someone-on-tiktok/)
-   [How to Watch TikTok Without the App or an Account Watch TikTok in any browser without installing the app or signing up, open profiles and videos by link, and know the limits.](/blog/tiktok-search/watch-without-app/)

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